Now that the next Beetle has been unveiled, the parade of special editions and variants can begin. Huzzah! VW tells us the first such Beetle offshoot will be a convertible model, which is set to arrive next year, likely as a 2013 model. Expect the droptop version to continue to use a fabric roof and be […]

David Gluckman

Apr 18, 2011

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Now that the next Beetle has been unveiled, the parade of special editions and variants can begin. Huzzah! VW tells us the first such Beetle offshoot will be a convertible model, which is set to arrive next year, likely as a 2013 model. Expect the droptop version to continue to use a fabric roof and be offered with similar—if not identical—engine options to the coupe.

A Volkswagen insider also said that a Beetle R is being consideredhas been confirmed for the U.S. No word on engine, but we figure it will get the higher-output turbocharged 2.0-liter from the Golf R; it won’t borrow that car’s all-wheel-drive system, though, as we were told that it definitely will be front-wheel drive. The car’s prospects are brighter than the last high-power Beetle’s, but that’s not hard: The Euro-only RSi was a tremendous flop—although its exorbitant price may also have contributed to its unpopularity. Until the Beetle R arrives at an unknown date in the future, enthusiasts will have to be sated by the GTI-esque 2.0 TSI model shown above.